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State health officials remove remains after Heaven Bound crematory inspection; permit suspended
Summary
Maryland health officials said they used abatement authority, subpoenas and a summary suspension of Heaven Bound Crematory’s permit after inspectors found a broken retort, refrigeration gaps and sanitation problems that left dozens of decedents at the facility.
The Maryland Department of Health and the State Anatomy Board told the Health and Government Operations Committee that they intervened after inspectors found a malfunctioning retort, delayed cremations, refrigeration gaps and sanitation problems at Heaven Bound Cremation Service.
Dr. Nilesh Kalyanaraman, Deputy Secretary for Public Health Services at the Maryland Department of Health, said the state first learned of the incident on Jan. 10 after the Board of Morticians and Funeral Directors notified the Charles County Health Department. He said Charles County alerted the state on Jan. 13 and the state convened a response team that same day. Under local public-health authority they issued an abatement order and gave the facility 72 hours to comply, Kalyanaraman said.
Kalyanaraman described the timeline: investigators found 25 decedents at the facility on Jan. 16, and by Jan. 17 — the 72‑hour inspection — 18 decedents remained. "So we did serve a subpoena under the secretary's authority to get records pertaining to those 18…
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